The wildling infant son of Gilly and her father-husband Craster has not received a given name yet. Some members of the Night's Watch have called him the abomination,[2][3] as he is a product of incest. Val thinks of him as a sweet little monster and the monster, using it as a milk name.[4]Jon Snow then thinks of the infant as Monster.[5]

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Name

The free folk consider that naming a child too early brings bad luck, since infant mortality is widespread. The children receive proper names when they reach the age of two. Gilly follows the same rule.[6][7] Temporary "milk names" can be assigned prior to the official naming. Val chooses the name monster for the boy.[4][8]

For much of the journey Gilly is overcome with grief at being separated from her child, but after Aemon's death aboard the Cinnamon Wind and becoming a lover to Samwell, she recovers. Upon their arrival at Oldtown, Gilly is sent to Samwell's old home at Horn Hill with the story that her child is a bastard fathered by Samwell – when in truth the child is the child of Mance and Dalla and Gilly's real son is still at the Wall.

A Dance with Dragons

It is revealed that Jon Snow managed to secretly switch the infants in order to prevent Melisandre from burning Mance and Dalla's son. He tells King Stannis Baratheon that Gilly is just another mouth to feed and he wants her gone. Jon's lie to Stannis works because it is based on Gilly's child being more robust, when in fact Gilly's child is the weaker of the two infants.
This confuses Stannis and when Jon explains to him that Gilly's father was also her husband Stannis is shocked. He tells Jon that he will not suffer such an abomination at the Wall.
Jon tells Gilly her son will not burn as Melisandre can gain nothing by giving him to the fire and Stannis will not burn an innocent without good cause:

↑The custom of assigning temporary milk names does exist in
Chinese culture. These names are typically either abandoned following the official naming, or survive as familial nicknames. These pet names are known and used only among closely related family members.